1. Field of the Invention
Many designs for endless tracks have been used and many others have been proposed ever since the advent of tracked vehicles. The main disadvantage of these designs is the high cost associated with the relatively low production of a complex product. The intent of this invention is to provide a low cost, durable track constructed from a vehicle tire casing, and a method for utilizing this track on a vehicle without the use of complex attachments to the track.
The vehicle tire casing is the main structure of a tire, consisting of the beads, sidewalls, and the rubber under the tread belt. Reinforcing material (usually nylon threads) extends through the entire casing, going from one bead, up through the sidewall, through the rubber under the tread belt, and down through the other sidewall to the other bead. This reinforcing material is arranged in a specific pattern according to the tire application (radial or bias ply). Additional reinforcing materials (usually woven steel belts) are installed in the casing under the tread for added casing protection. These steel belts do not extend into the sidewalls of the casing and end in the crown area (essentially the top of the sidewall).
Most of the tire casings in the scrap tire waste stream are undamaged. They can be reused by removing the old tread belt off of the casing and installing a new tread belt. This is the basic method of re-treading tires and this procedure is common for large truck tires. For economic reasons, tire re-treading is no longer performed on car and light truck tires and these tire casings are discarded when the tread belt becomes worn. These discarded casings can be used to manufacture endless tracks by severing the casing at the top of each sidewall and using the portion of the casing under the tread belt as the endless track. The tread belt may or may not remain on the casing.
2. Description of Related Art
Endless tracks constructed of flexible materials as disclosed in the prior art rely on complex methods to maintain track alignment and provide positive traction force to drive the track. Various types of attachments, protrusions, and grooves have been disclosed that increase the manufacturing and maintenance costs, and decrease the life of the track.